1
as in flinching
to draw back in fear, pain, or disgust
we quailed when the waiter unexpectedly presented us with a hindquarter of frog's legs
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Recent Examples of Synonyms for quailing
Verb
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The staff member can be seen cowering down to fend off the attack and then turns and squares up to the irate passenger, who’s wearing a green colored top and army green pants.—
Michael Dorgan,
Fox News,
29 Nov. 2024 -
The trauma of war is ever-present in Honda's vision, which sees citizens fleeing for their lives and cowering in the rubble of their homes.—
Katie Rife,
EW.com,
18 Oct. 2024
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“Quailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quailing. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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